Apparatus for the remote control of calculating machines



July 17, 1962 E. SPINGIES ETAL 3, 4,

APPARATUS FOR THE REMOTE CONTROL OF CALCULATING MACHINES Filed April 16, 1959 IN v/v 70/25] Erwin Spiny/195 9 Herfierz P05 ygi w.

ATTYJ.

United States Patent 3,044,700 Patented July 17, 1962 Filed Apr. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 806,870 Claims priority, application Germany May 6, 1958 4 Claims. (Cl. 235-146) The invention relates to an apparatus for the remote control of calculating machines and the like by electromagnetic control means representing calculation factors, which means mechanically limit the movement of actuators, normally controlled by the keyboard of a calculating machine, after these actuators have been released.

Remote control factor-entering in calculating machines is known. This has been attained usually by electromagnets acting on the keyboard. The magnets either actuate the key heads of the hand operating mechanism or engage the key levers. A magnet is necessary for each factor. The individual magnets successively control the keys of the calculating machine. A transmission unit of this kind requires a large amount of wiring and also strong magnets. It operates slowly and its construction is intricate. Moreover, these known remote controlscan transmit factors in only one direction, from transmitter to receiver, but not in the opposite direction.

An object of the invention is to provide simple means which permit the electrical transmission of numerical values or factors in either direction between conventional electrically driven calculating machines equipped for hand operation. Accelerated factor transmission is ensured by the simulataneous transmission in all denominational orders. Only one line is required for each denominational order to be transmitted to a connected-up machine. The necessary energy for electrical transmission is very slight.

According to the invention, magnet cores are arranged to project into the path of movement of each actuator of the machine connected up, for limiting the factor setting movement of the actuator, and magnet coils associated with these cores are adapted to be energized by predetermined voltages for each digit in each denominational order, while contact members are positioned by the movement of the actuators so as to connect the magnet coils with the potentials actually corresponding to them.

By the automatic control of the factor transmission and reception, the machines connected up are fully utilized. By the arrangement, of the magnet cores in the path of movement of the actuators, the cores can be of small size because they serve only as stop means for the actuators and do not have to transmit any energy. Because of the small dimensions of the magnet cores, calculating machines withactuators arranged close together, for example in a ten digit keyboard, can also be provided with the remote control according to the invention.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a conventional calculating machine with an actuator member;

FIG. 2 is a wiring diagram of a magnet assembly for one denominational order;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a similar magnet assembly, and

FIG. 4 illustrates voltage potentials for different digits.

FIG. 1 illustrates more or less diagrammatically part of a calculating machine 30 of conventional construction which has an actuator 31 for each denominational order, with steps 32for each digit. The calculating machine has keys 34, of which only three are shown in FIG. 1, provided with stems 33 adapted to limit the travel of the actuators 31 in a known manner. When a key is depressed it remains in depressed position until the actuators 31 for each denominational order have been released, by

the depression of a key for determining the type of arithmetical operation, and the actuators 31 have moved for' ward as far as their respective depressed key stems 33. The actuators are released in a known manner by the lifting of pawls 35. Examples of standard calculating machines of this generalconstructoin are shown in US. Patent 2,497,784, granted on February 14, 1950, to Mehan et al., U.S. Patent 2,724,550, granted on November 22, 1955, to Drake et al., and US. Patent 2,744,682, granted on May 8, 1956, to Busch et al.

An actuator rack 10 is fitted on each actuator 31 and moves with the actuator. A contact bar 12 is provided for each actuator rack 10 of the calculating machine 30 and extends in the direction of travel of the actuator. As shown in FIG. 3, the contact bar 12 has two rows of contacts 0 to 9 and 0 to 9 Cores 11 of magnet coils 20 to 29 are arranged in the path of travel of the actuator rack 10. These magnets have open magnetic circuits without a yoke. The actuator rack 10 has a contact support member 13 carrying a pair of wipers 36 which brush over the two series of contacts 0 to 9 and 0 to 9 of the contact bar 12. v

The magnet coils 20 to 29 are connected at the input side to a receiver circuit 14 (FIG. 2) or 14 (FIG. 3). The magnet coils are connected at their output side to the contacts 0 to 9 of the contact bar 12. Potentials 0-9, increasing in steps, are associated with the individual contacts 0 to 9 and are predetermined for each digit. These potentials are similar for each denominational order. For example, the digit 0:0 volt, the digit 1:5 volts, the digit 2:10 volts, and so forth.

The pair of wipers 36 pass on the potential picked up via a transmission circuit 15 or 15 In order to explain the operation, it is assumed that the arrangement according to FIG. 2 is provided on a factor-transmitting calculating machine (machine I) and the arrangement according to FIG. 3 is provided on a factor-receiving calculating machine (machine II). The type of arithmetic operation for the machines I and II is set in a known manner, and the actuators of the machines are reieased. The release is eifected by liberating all the pawls 35 of the actuators 31 in a known manner, for example by a common control shaft, not shown in the drawing. To prepare the machine II for reception, a contact 16 of the machine II is opened.

If for example the digit 7 is introduced by hand into the keyboard of machine I, the released actuator 31 moves with the rod 10 up to the pair of contacts 7 -7 Since the magnet coils 20 to 29 of the machine I receive, through the circuit 14 the maximum switching potential from the contact 9 via a contact 16 and the contacts 0 to 7 are connected up to lower potentials, a potential difference exists across each of the magnet coils 20 to 27 of the machine I and those coils attract their cores when the respective contact pairs are connected by the support member 13, and the cores do not, therefore, impede the movement of the actuator 10. The potential unique to digit 7 is transmitted by the support member 13 via circuit 15 and diode 37 to the input circuit 14 of the machine II. When factors are being transmitted from machine I to machine II; the switch 16 is closed and 16 is opened. The released actuator rack 10 of the machine II now travels as faras the contacts 7 -7 because the magnet coils 20 to 26 of the machine II attract their cores 11 owing to the difference in potential between the circuit 14 and the switching potential on the contacts 0 to 6 of the machine II. In the case of the pair of contacts 7 7 there is no difference in potential to the input circuit 14 and the contacts 7 7 bridged by the member 13 since the voltage applied to contact 7 from the line 7 is the same as the voltage applied to contact 7 from the circuit 14 The winding 27 therefore does not set up a magnetic field, the core 11 associated therewith is not attracted and therefore acts as abutment interrupting the further movement of the rack and consequently of the actuator 31.

In this manner all calculation factors can be transferred from the machine I to the machine II. Similarly other machines can be connected up with the machine I. The selection of the machines connected up for receiving factors is effected in known manner.

It is likewise possible to transmit factors from the machine II to the machine I. In this case the circuit of the machine II is used as transmission circuit and the factor potential is transferred via the connection shown in dotted lines and a diode 38 to the circuit 14 of the machine I, now acting as receiver circuit. In this case the switch 16 of the machine II remains closed and the switch 16 of the machine I is opened.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claim are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for controlling the operation of one calculating machine by another, each of said calculating machines being of the type comprising an actuator which indicates values by the extent of its movement along a prescribed path, and a key board having a plurality of keys representing numerical information the extent of the movement of said actuator being controlled by the selection and depression of individual keys of the keyboard associated with the individual machine, said machines each further comprising a series of pairs of electrical contacts arranged in the prescribed path through which said actuator moves, means for connecting to one contact of each pair of contacts a source of electrical potential representative of the value represented by said pair of contacts, a member carried by said actuator for establishing electrical connections between a selected pair of contacts of said series of pairs of contacts, said selection being determined by the extent of movement of said actuator, and an electrically actuated stop interposed in the path of movement of said actuator for each value to be represented by said actuator, the other contact of each of said pairs of contacts being connected to one side of its corresponding stop, the other sides of said stops being con nected together and to the member of said other machine for establishing electrical connections whereby electrical potentials are applied to the respective stops of one machine by the movement of the actuator of the other machine.

2. Apparatus for controlling one calculating machine by another, said calculating machines each being of the type comprising an actuator adapted to insert values by the extent of its movement along a prescribed path and a keyboard having individual keys representative of numerical information, the extent of the movement of each actuator being controlled by normally extended withdrawable stop members operable electrically or by the selection of one of said keys representative of the value to be inserted by the movement of the actuator, each machine further comprising a series of pairs of contacts arranged in the path of movement of said actuator, and a member mounted upon said actuator for electrically connecting the contacts of that pair of contacts at the termination of the movement of said actuator which represents the same value as does the selected key, said apparatus comprising means for connecting to one contact of each of said pairs of contacts a source of potential, the potential applied to each of the individual contacts having a value proportional to the value represented by the in dividual contact, means for connecting the other contacts of said pairs of contacts of each machine together and to the connecting member of the other machine to apply to the individual stop members of the machine being remotely controlled as its actuator moves past its pairs of contacts the potential representative of the value inserted into the controlling machine and the potential of that stop member whereby the stop member having substantially identical potentials applied to it from said two machines is not withdrawn and terminates the movement of the actuator of said remotely controlled machine.

3. Apparatus for controlling the operation of one calculating machine by another, said calculating machines each being of the type comprising a movable actuator which inserts values into the calculating mechanism of the machine by its forward movement, the extent of its forward movement being determinative of the value being inserted, and a keyboard having a plurality of keys individually representative of numerical information, first stop members controiling the forward movement of said actuator under the control of the keyboard associated with the machine, second stop members for controlling the forward movement of said actuator, solenoid operators individual to each of said second stop members, a series of pairs of electrical contacts in the path of said actuator, means carried by the actuator for establishing electrical connection between the contacts of the pair representative of the value also represented by the extent of the forward movement of the actuator, means for connecting one of the contacts of each of said pair to a source of potential corresponding in amplitude to the value represented by that pair, means for connecting the other contact of each pair of one machine to the means for establishing electrical connection of the other machine, and means for selecting the extent of forward movement of the actuator of one machine by its keyboard and initiating the forward movements of the actuators of both machines, whereby the movement of the actuator of said keyboard ccntrolled machine establishes an electrical connection between the pair of contacts representing the value being inserted and thereby applies a potential representative of that value to one side of all of the solenoid operators of the other machine in sequence to cause the withdrawal of the stop members from the path of said actuator of the other machine except that stop member whose solenoid has substantially equal potentials applied thereacross.

4. Apparatus for remotely controlling one calculating machine by the operation of another calculating machine, said calculating mechines being of the type which have keyboards in which individual keys represent individual numerical values and actuators movable upon the insertion of a numerical value into the machine by the depression of one of said keys of said keyboard to positions which are representative of the values being inserted, said apparatus further including at each machine a series of pairs of contacts arranged in the path of travel of said actuator at each of said value representing positions of said actuator, a source of a series of electrical potentials which are proportional to numerical values being represented, means for applying to a contact of each of said pairs of contacts the potential which represents the same numericai value as that pair of contacts, a series of stop members arranged in the path of travel of said actuator at the numerical value representing positions of said actuator, each of said stop members being responsive to potential difference applied across it to withdraw from the path of travel of said actuator, and means for inter connecting the contacts of said machines to apply to one side of each of said stop members of the controlled machine the individual potential of the controlled machine which represents the value at the particular position of that stop member and to apply to the other side of all of the stop members of the controlled machine the potential 5 from the controlling machine representative of the value inserted into the controlling machine whereby all of the stop members but one of the controlled machine have a potential difference applied across them to Withdraw them from the path of travel of said actuator of said controlled 10 machine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kinkead Sept. 10, 1946 Hillman Nov. 12, 1946 Schwend Oct. 23, 1956 Hilton June 25, 1957 Boyden et a1 Mar. 8, 1960 Beall et a1 Apr. 25, 1961 

